Thursday, 22 December 2016

Hello,Please see this special link to see my special message: http://www.123greetings.com/send/view/12322816908335624386Deaf Resource Centre (DRC) will be closed on Friday December 23rd at 1:30 pm till Monday, January 2nd, 2017. The office will re-open on Tuesday, January 3rd at 9:30 am.Thanks,Sheila MontneyExecutive DirectorDeaf Centre Manitoba Inc

The FCC Just Approved a Landmark New Way For Deaf People to Communicate

The Federal Communications Commission last week approved one of
the most important advances in communications technology for deaf and hard of
hearing people in decades, in one of the agency’s final acts under the
leadership ofoutgoing FCC Chairman Tom
Wheeler.

In
a move that’s being hailed by accessibility advocates and leaders in the deaf
and hard of hearing community as a historic step forward, the five-member FCCunanimously adopted rulesto facilitate the transition from
outdated, analog teletype (TTY) devices to a new, internet-based, real-time
text messaging standard (RTT) compatible with the latest smartphones.

As
a result of the FCC’s action, the nation’s wireless carriers and device
manufacturers will be required to support RTT functionality, which allows real-time
text messaging—without the need to hit “send”—in which the recipient can
instantly see letters, characters and words as they are being typed.

“We
now have the opportunity—as we design our new communications system that is
based on internet-protocol—to finally make our nation’s communications systems
accessible to everyone,” FCC Chairman Wheeler said at theagency’s monthly meetinglast
Thursday.

This
innovation will facilitate more natural, conversation-friendly communication
for deaf and hard of hearing people—without the need for separate, specialized
hardware. It will also allow 911 operators to receive incomplete messages
during an emergency, potentially saving lives. RTT technology is expected to be
interoperable across wireless networks and devices, creating the potential for
unprecedented ease of communication between deaf and hearing people.

“This
is a way for deaf and hard of hearing consumers to communicate in ways that
haven’t been available before.”

For decades, tens of thousands of deaf, hard
of hearing, speech-impaired, and deaf-blind people have relied onTTY devices, which are rudimentary keyboards connected to the
traditionalPSTNtelephone network that facilitate non-verbal,
text-based communication. (For deaf-blind people, these machines can be
connected todevices that
produce a Braille display.)

The origins of TTY devices date back to the
1960s, whenDr. James Marsters, a deaf orthodontist, worked with two colleagues
to develop a groundbreaking system that used an acoustic coupler—what we now
call a modem—to send audio tones over the phone network that were then
converted into readable messages. In their earliest form, TTY devices werebulky, slow-operating machinesthat weighed as much as 200 pounds, and
printed messages between the sender and recipient on paper.

n later years, Marsters would help advance
the development ofTelecommunications
Relay Services (TRS), which improved phone communication between deaf andhearingpeople with the assistance of a third-party
person, known as a “communications assistant” (CA), who translated TTY text
messages from the sender into speech for the hearing recipient.

The advent of video-calling in the late 1990s
and early 2000s led to the development ofVideo Relay Services (VRS), in which deaf people use American Sign Language
to communicate by video with a CA, who then translates the sign language into
speech

“Being
at the FCC meeting was very emotional for me for two reasons,” Vogler said.
“First, because consumers are getting more access to telecommunications
services. Second, because this is a successful translation from research into
practice that has taken 15 years. I have been workingso hardto push this
through and get it passed by the FCC.”

Vogler, 43, became interested in engineering and computer
science at an early age. “I got my first computer at the age of 12, the
venerableC64,” he told Motherboard. “From
there one thing led to another. I became interested in what made computers
tick, got into self-taught programming, and eventually figured out that this
was what I wanted to do for a living.”

By
the time Voglerearned his PhD in computer
sciencefrom the
University of Pennsylvania in 2003, he had already stopped using TTY devices in
the late-1990s in favor of VRS, for several reasons, he said.

First, the TTY devices of that era couldn’t distinguish between
uppercase and lowercase letters, nor could they produce important characters
like the “@” symbol—a major drawback for an internet-savvy computer scientist.
Second, the devices were too time-consuming. They could only transmit 60 words
per minute, and only one party to a TTY conversation could send messages at a
time, slowing discussions to a crawl.

But
VRS, while faster and more efficient than TTY, had drawbacks as well, Vogler said.
First, he had given up the ability to havedirectconversations with businesses,
colleagues, friends, and family members whoalsohad TTY devices. With VRS there
is always a human intermediary. Second, Vogler had lost the ability to have adirectconnection to 911
services, which is something that most hearing people take for granted, but
could lead to a life-or-death situation for deaf or hard of hearing people
during an emergency.

“In dropping TTY we gave up direct communication access with the
mainstream phone world, and direct effective emergency calling,” Vogler said.
“RTT offers us the opportunity to get both back.”

Wireless Providers and
Device Makers Will Take The Lead

The
FCC’s vote establishes a technological standard for RTT services that was spearheaded
by a team of developers and advocates for the deaf and hard of hearing
community, in conjunction with the nation’s leading telecom providers,
including AT&T, which took aleading role in the process, as part of the
industry-wideInternet Protocol (IP) transitionfrom traditional telephony to
internet-based communication.

Over the coming months and years, wireless
companies like AT&T and device manufacturers like Samsung are expected to
introduce RTT apps for consumers, with the ultimate goal being “native” functionality
baked into, and interoperable with, all smartphones and text-messaging apps.
Ultimately, RTT technology could prove so popular amongallconsumers, not just deaf and hard of hearing people, that it
could become a new standard for text-messaging services.

For FCC Chairman Wheeler, whoannounced last
week that he is stepping downin January, the successful vote advancing the
TTY to RTT transition amounts to a poignant and deeply symbolic conclusion to a
three-year tenure during which he made communications accessibility a key
priority for the nation’s top telecom regulatory agency. In his comments at
last Thursday’s meeting, Wheeler used American Sign Language topraise and
thankthe assembled deaf and hard of hearing advocates
who have worked tirelessly to encourage FCC action on this issue.

“Chairman Tom Wheeler has, in his few years
at the FCC, boldly and efficiently removed barriers that have long frustrated
deaf and hard of hearing people with respect to making telephone calls,
watching videos, and using the internet,” Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the
National Association of the Deaf,said in a
statement. “The NAD thanks him for his dedicated efforts to make the
world more accessible for everyone, and wishes him well on his future
endeavors.”

Sign language being considered as third official language: documents

If enacted legislation would require federal information and services to be provided in English, French and sign language

OTTAWA – The Liberal government has been quietly looking at the possibility of adding a third official language: Sign language.

Raising signing to the level of official language would be a major recognition, given that the use of sign language in Canada was “widely discouraged and even forbidden in classrooms” in the not-too-distant past, federal officials wrote in a briefing note to Disabilities Minister Carla Qualtrough.

Earlier this year, officials in Employment and Social Development Canada looked over sign language legislation in New Zealand, Scotland, Finland and Sweden as part of research about how the government could enact a similar federal law here.

The details are part of a briefing note The Canadian Press obtained under the Access to Information Act.

Such legislation, if enacted, would require federal information and services to be provided in English, French and sign language. In Canada, there are two types of sign language used by people who are medically deaf, hard of hearing, or prefer to sign: American Sign Language and la Langue des Signes Quebecoise.

“We know that Canadians with communication barriers and Canadians who are deaf and hard of hearing face these additional hurdles to being included in our society and our workplaces and our communities,” Qualtrough said in response to questions Thursday.

“I’m very keen to make sure that culture, that language is protected in some way.”

Canada ratified a UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities in 2010. The declaration includes a call for countries to ensure that services can be delivered in sign language and enshrine it in law as an official language.

The Liberals are currently consulting on proposals for a wider accessibility law, with the goal of having legislation in place by the end of next year, or early 2018.

Qualtrough suggested Thursday that the government is looking to give public officials the ability to proactively crack down on future violators in the public and private sector, crafting a law that would have some teeth.

The change would be a shift away from the current Canadian human rights model, which prevents federal officials from getting involved until someone complains.

Qualtrough said the current process is onerous, cumbersome and expensive for those who go through it.

A proactive law would mirror the model used in the United States. In separate briefing notes to Qualtrough obtained by The Canadian Press, officials wrote that Canada could consider aspects of the American model, including a centralized complaints process, a decentralized enforcement system and a range of enforcement tools, from educational outreach to fines.

“What we want to do with our accessibility legislation is proactively address barriers to inclusion faced by Canadians with disabilities and functional limitations,” Qualtrough said.

“We have heard loud and clear from people across the country that there has to be some kind of teeth to this, that there has to be some kind of enforcement mechanism. It has to be aspirational for sure, but it also has to set some kind of expectation whether it be in the form of standards or guidelines.”

Qualtrough announced Thursday the government was starting the process to enact an optional part of the UN declaration that would allow Canadians with disabilities to file a human rights complaint with the United Nations and let the international body launch investigations into systemic issues in Canada.

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Hello,Please see the link-https://www.facebook.com/events/668104496700283/ as Joey Landreth The Whiskey Tour will be at the West End Cultural Centre for Thursday, March 9th, 2017 from 7-10pm. Interested? See this link for more information and costs.Thanks,Sheila MontneyExecutive DirectorDeaf Centre Manitoba Inc

FREE WEBINAR:
Spotlight on Invisible Disabilities! What is an accessible Canada to you?

Do you have access to all you need to live your life
fully? If you’re interested in discussing how invisible disabilities need
to be recognized and understood, join us for this one-hour webinar!

The Government of Canada is working on a Federal legislation that aims to
create a more inclusive and accessible society for all Canadians. You can
have say in legislation by helping CHHA and its 17 partner organizations
identify barriers and social challenges facing those with hearing loss,
mental health and learning disabilities. This webinar will kick start a
series of interactive webinars being hosted in the New Year!

In this live webinar, we’ll discuss and engage you in the conversation:

Spotlight Project Introduction

Hear from those involved

Respond and react in real time to discussions

Learn about your opportunity to contribute
concrete recommendations to the federal government

December 10th is International Human Rights Day. The Canadian
Museum of Human Rights has free admission and is celebrating the 10th
anniversary of the landmark United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities. CMHR has planned a schedule of programs that highlight
people with disabilities featuring performances by 100 Decibels Deaf mime troupe and the
All Abilities Dance troupe.

Monday, 5 December 2016

The Manitoba
League of Persons with Disabilities (MLPD) is inviting applications for the
Accessibility Program Manager position.

About the
MLPD Accessibility Consulting Services Pilot Program

MLPD is a
seasoned, cross-disabilities organization that promotes equal access to
opportunities.

The MLPD
Accessibility Consulting Services Pilot Program will help organizations develop
and implement their accessibility plans and policies as required by the new
regulation: Accessibility for Manitobans
Act (AMA).

This program
has a social enterprise approach including fee-for-service activities in
support of promoting accessibility for persons living with disabilities and
generating revenue for MLPD.

Reporting to
the MLPD Provincial Coordinator, the Program Manager will be responsible for
all aspects of the MLPD Accessibility Consulting Services Program, including
the following:

Develop
accessibility plans with clients

Facilitate
and act as a resource to the MLPD Community Advisory Committee (MCAC)

Facilitate
on-site testing and schedule/coordinate testers

Plan and
manage public forums and/or workshops on accessibility and the requirements as
per the AMA

Prepare
reports to funders

Market the
Program resources and services and source potential clients

As this is a
new program she/he will work in collaboration with our Program Coach to develop
program resources and processes.

QUALIFICATIONS

Must Haves:

Demonstrated
knowledge or expertise in the area of Accessibility

Demonstrated
program management experience

Excellent
planning and organization skills including process improvement, information
analysis, and program evaluation